The present invention is directed toward an article of footwear effective to regulate the temperature of the feet of a wearer. In an embodiment, the article of footwear includes an upper and an insole with a thermal effect membrane. The thermal effect membrane contains a plurality of system-reactive components selectively engaged heat and/or moisture. In an embodiment, the printed coating includes a cooling agent, a phase change material, and a heat dissipation material. The bottom of the sole structure of the article of footwear further includes a multiple openings in the forefoot, midfoot, and hindfoot regions. The multiple openings promote airflow into the interior of the upper. In operation, the article of footwear is effective to delay/diminish the rise in skin temperature (compared to footwear lacking the membrane and/or openings), increasing wearer comfort.

Systems and devices are described for creating a more effective mechanical ventilation system for footwear. For example, a mechanical ventilation system can include an air reservoir that is almost as large as the entire shoe under the footwear's foot bed. In some examples, the air reservoir can be connected to an area that includes a foot of a user in the footwear. The air reservoir can be compressed using a movable part that circulates air in the footwear with every step. The movable part can be relatively small, extending into the air reservoir, and able to compress and inflate the air reservoir. Movement of the movable part can cause a large effective compressible area of the air reservoir to release fresh air near the toes of a foot to flush stale air out of the footwear.

The present invention is directed toward an article of footwear effective to regulate the temperature of the feet of a wearer. In an embodiment, the article of footwear includes an upper and an insole with a thermal effect membrane. The thermal effect membrane contains a plurality of system-reactive components selectively engaged heat and/or moisture. In an embodiment, the printed coating includes a cooling agent, a phase change material, and a heat dissipation material. The bottom of the sole structure of the article of footwear further includes a multiple openings in the forefoot, midfoot, and hindfoot regions. The multiple openings promote airflow into the interior of the upper. In operation, the article of footwear is effective to delay/diminish the rise in skin temperature (compared to footwear lacking the membrane and/or openings), increasing wearer comfort.

The invention relates to a method for producing a shoe with an air pump device bellows which is arranged in the heel region, wherein an upper (2), a midsole (3), and an outsole (4) are first provided. The lower face (32) of the midsole (3) has a recess (36) for forming a cavity for the bellows and a surface which surrounds the recess on all sides and which comprises a surface profile, and the upper face (41) of the outsole (4) has a surface with a surface profile which complements the surface profile of the lower face of the midsole. The horizontal extension of the upper face (41) of the outsole (4) and of a sole section (22) of the upper (2) is greater than the horizontal extension of the midsole (3) such that the outsole (4) and the upper (2) protrude beyond the centered midsole (3) on all sides. In order to connect the upper (2), the midsole (3), and the outsole (4), the midsole (3) is first adhered onto the sole section (22) in a centered manner, and the upper (2) together with the midsole (3) are pressed onto the outsole (4) which is provided in the base element (6) of an injection mold. In the process, the complementary surfaces are adhered such that the cavity of the recess (36) is completely enclosed. The upper (2), the midsole (3), and the outsole (4) are then enclosed by an injection mold, and the outsole (4) upper face (41) surface regions which are not covered by the midsole (3), the outer surfaces of the midsole (3), and the lower face and adjacent lateral surface regions of the upper (2) are overmolded with an edge sole region plastic.

Under normal usage condition, wearing any pair of shoes especially for extended amount of time regardless of the type of shoe, makes feet sweaty and uncomfortable which potentially results in an exhausted foot. By circulating air inside a pair of shoes and around one's feet inside such shoe one can have a more hygienic/healthy and a more pleasant experience throughout the day. Exposure to fresh air not only makes feet more relaxed and comfortable it allows for less odor trapped inside such shoes due to less sweating. I have invented a means of ventilating men's, women's, or kids' shoes to remove heat and objectionable odors normally caused by sweating of one's feet inside a pair of shoes being worn, by means of circulating fresh outside air inside such pair of shoes and around one's feet wearing such shoes.

Disclosed is a self-ventilating shoe that is comprised of at least one tube running along an outer surface of a wall of the shoe. The tube contains an inlet opening outside the show and an outlet opening pointing into the cavity of the shoe. The up and down motions of a foot will cause a circulation of air as air is extruded into the cavity from the tubes during the downward motions and sucked back into the tubes through upward motions. Debris is excluded from the system through utilization of filters on one or all openings of the tubes.

The ventilative sole structure includes a sole, a first one-way valve, and a second one-way valve. The sole's heel portion includes a hollow chamber inside and a bottom piece beneath the chamber. The first one-way valve is configured on a circumferential wall of the chamber. The second one-way valve is configured between a tread portion of the sole and the chamber. When a user wears a shoe with the ventilative sole structure, air enters the chamber through the first one-way valve when the user raises his/her feet, and air is released from the chamber through the second one-way valve towards the tread portion when the user treads on the ground and compresses the chamber, thereby enhancing ventilation and removing odor of the shoe.

The invention discloses a pair of sports shoes comprising a shoes body, a pressure generating device, a humidity sensor, a controller and a switch valve. A shoes chamber is provided at the heel of the shoes body, and the pressure generating device is arranged in the groove chamber. The upper work end of the pressure generating device is in contact with the lower surface of the insole of the shoes body; the humidity sensor is setted at the upper surface of the insole of the shoes body; the humidity sensor, the controller and the switch valve are electrically connected in turn, and the pressure generating device supplies power to the humidity sensor, the controller, and the switch valve, respectively; the controller controls the pressure generating device to stop or start energizing the solenoid valve tongue of the switch valve to close or conduct the gas passage.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a ventilated support device and method. In some embodiments, the device comprises a first layer having a first side and a second side, a plurality of flexible support capsules disposed on the second side of the first layer, a plurality of ventholes extending from the first side to the second side of the first layer, and a plurality of vias disposed among the plurality of support capsules; wherein the first layer is sufficiently flexible to deform under an externally-applied force; wherein the plurality of support capsules comprises a plurality of flexible materials such that they force air movement through the plurality of vias. Other embodiments comprise a shoe with an integrated ventilated support device, comprising an upper and a sole; wherein the ventilated support device is disposed between the upper and the sole; and the ventilated support device comprises: a first layer, a second layer, a plurality of flexible support capsules disposed between the first layer and the second layer, and a plurality of vias interposed among the plurality of support capsules. Other embodiments comprise a method for ventilation comprising applying a force to a first layer comprising a flexible material, wherein the force is transferred from the first layer to a plurality of flexible support capsules disposed between the first layer and a second layer and deforming at least one of the plurality of flexible support capsules, thereby displacing air through a plurality of vias interspersed among the plurality of support capsules.

There is provided a ventilation shoe that allows for downsizing and enables a shoe interior to be sufficiently ventilated. The ventilation shoe comprises an upper (31), a sole (32) formed by layering a plurality of sole plates, and a ventilation device configured to take the air into a shoe interior (34) and release the air out of the shoe interior (34). The ventilation device comprises an air intake passage (L1) configured to take in the air, an air release passage (L2) configured to release the air, and a pump chamber (P) configured to feed the air taken in through the air intake passage (L1) to the air release passage (L2). The sole (32) is formed by layering a plurality of sole plates. The pump chamber (P) is formed in a flat shape between the sole plates. Valve mounting apertures (152, 157) are formed in a middle sole plate that is placed vertically between other sole plates. Each check valve (V1, V2) integrated via a support member is mounted to the valve mounting aperture (152, 157).